Tubectomy procedure: There was a time in India when the government would capture and sterilize people. Sanjay Gandhi, the son of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, took this issue to great heights. It is said that during that time, people were captured and sterilized. The fear was so intense that people were reluctant to go to work in the fields, hiding in their homes, fearing that a government vehicle would come and take them away for sterilization. But a question arises: how was sterilization performed? Which vein was cut during sterilization, preventing people from having children? If you have such questions, let us explain it in detail.
How is sterilization performed in men?
Male sterilization is medically known as vasectomy. In this procedure, doctors cut and tie a tube called the vas deferens. The vas deferens is the tube that carries sperm from the testis. During a sterilization, it is cut and sealed, so if sperm is not released, how can children be conceived? Thus, when a man has intercourse, semen is released, but sperm are not released with it. This eliminates a man’s ability to have children. Simply put, fertility is lost, but the man’s ability to have sexual intercourse is not affected.
Sterilization in Women
Female sterilization is called a tubectomy. In this procedure, doctors cut or tie off a woman’s fallopian tubes. Simply put, the fallopian tubes are the pathways through which eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus. When these tubes are blocked, the union of eggs and sperm is prevented, making women unable to have children. However, one thing that is most noteworthy here is that sterilization is much more difficult for women than for men. This requires an incision in the lower abdomen to access the tube.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sterilization is 99 percent effective. Once the procedure is performed, the chances of having another child are very low. However, it is crucial that the sterilization be performed by a knowledgeable doctor.
